1. Field of the Invention
Finishing machines or apparatus, semi-automatic or batch-type, self-separating, of vibratory, gyratory, or spinner type, having various positions of rotation of the finishing machine housing and means for imparting vibration to the housing in different positions of rotation, which vibrations may be of different intensities, for assisting with separation of media from parts and with ejection of finished parts from the machine.
2. Prior Art
Numerous self-separating finishing devices of the automatic, semi-automatic, and batch-type have previously been proposed. These have mainly been of the vibratory or gyratory type. Recently I have developed such machines embodying a vertical centrifugal finishing unit as the finishing component thereof, which are the subject matter of my copending United States patent application Ser. No. 238,443, filed Feb. 26, 1981, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,194 dated Dec. 14, 1982. Whereas, in such vibratory or gyratory type of apparatus which was rotatable about an axis for separation employing a foraminous member or the like, the vibratory motor employed for the finishing operation was primarily located for effecting the finishing process and not for the separation step, leading to gross inefficiency in separation even when the vibratory means was actuated or continued in operation during the separation step, in my latest self-separating rotatable finishing machines, which embody a vertical centrifugal finishing unit, I have provided for independent vibratory means operatively associated with the foraminous member for imparting vibrations to the foraminous member during a combined parts separation and exit cycle, thus greatly improving the efficiency of the machine with respect to that aspect of its operation. However, regardless of whether the method of finishing employed is vibratory, gyratory, or of vertical centrifugal nature, differences in the character and nature of the parts being finished, and of the particular operation involved, make it highly desirable that machines of the type involved have greater flexibility to more readily enable an individualized treatment of a particular finishing problem, for example, particular finishing of particular parts with particular finishing media, particular conditions for separation of the media employed from the parts involved, and particular conditions during exit of the particular parts from the machine. Although it is common to employ particularized finishing media for the finishing of particular parts according to predetermined finishing program, up until the present time there has been neither apparatus or method available which permitted an individualized media-separation mode and an individualized parts-exit mode nor, to the best of my knowledge, has any such apparatus or method been previously proposed. More specifically, there has previously not been available any such apparatus or method whereby parts could be finished, whether by a vibratory, gyratory, or vertical centrifugal procedure, the finishing media and parts then separated from each other under controlled vibration conditions, and the separated finished parts then exited from the machine, again under controlled vibration conditions, which vibration conditions in the media-separation and parts-exit steps may, if desired, be varied to suit the individual type and nature of the part being treated, for example, gentle vibrations when fragile or breakable parts are involved, more vigorous vibrations when the parts are more durable and less subject to damage, or a combination of the two, for example, less intense vibrations during separation of media from parts and more intense vibrations for a more rapid exit of finished parts from the machine. Moreover, to the best of my knowledge, no machine of the type here involved having separate rotational positions for finishing, media separation, and parts exit has either been proposed or provided, much less such a machine comprising independent vibratory means associated with the foraminous member for operation in separate media-separation and parts exit steps, and still much less such apparatus or method wherein the vibrations in the various steps, phases, or cycles could be varied in their intensity. It is apparent that such improved finishing machine and method, not characterized by such stated inherent shortcomings, difficiencies, and inabilities of the prior art systems, would be highly desirable and would fulfill a long-felt and important need in the art. Such apparatus and method is provided by the present invention.
As representative of the prior art applicable to the particular area or areas of the surface-finishing field in which the present invention is made, may be mentioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,073,078, 3,073,079, 3,073,080, 3,073,081, 3,073,082, 3,073,069, 3,435,564, 3,990,188, 4,026,075, 4,177,608, and U.S. RE 29,964.